


Adjusting to Surface Life

by spookysandwoman



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: F/M, My First Undertale Fanfic, NSFW, Post-Pacifist Route, Reader-Insert
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-02-01
Updated: 2016-02-10
Packaged: 2018-05-17 15:58:24
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,507
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5876869
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/spookysandwoman/pseuds/spookysandwoman
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It's been a year since the barrier was destroyed and monsters moved up to the surface. Most humans are wary about these creatures, but others greeted them with open arms. But when Papyrus forces Sans to get "an easy job" and he gets to know her better, things begin to heat up.</p><p>Main character: she/her, sometimes may be refered to as "B", no major characteristics given.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you guys so checking my first Undertale fan fic! I'm a little nervous about doing this. I've written fan fic many times before, but never really had let an audience read them. So be gentle on the criticism! I hope you enjoy!

Her alarm began to shout a loud rock song, rousing her out of sleep. She stumbled at shutting the damn thing off, clearly clinging to the precious sleep. When the alarm was quiet, she rolled out of bed, her quilts coming with her as she walked to the bathroom.  
She did her business, brushed her teeth, and brushed her hair. She splashed some cold water on her face, hoping it would wake her up enough to brave the outside world until she could get some coffee. It didn't work as well as she had hope. She went into the kitchen to feed her cats, but was interrupted by a shrill alarm noise.  
"I shut off my alarm," she mumbled to herself quizzically. She realized it wasn't even coming from her apartment. It was next door.  
"NYEH HEH!"  
"Ugh, Papyrus..." She dropped her blankets and rushed out to knock frantically on her next door neighbor's door. Quickly, a tall skeleton opened the door.  
"GOOD MORNING, HUMAN! HOW ARE YOU--" As nice as he was, she had push him out of the way to stop the smoke detector. Another skeleton, one who was far shorter than the other, wasn't trying anything to stop it. He was sitting at the table, bony digits around a mug. She went into the closest bedroom and grabbed a pillow. Papyrus had closed the front door and came to watch the human's heroic actions. She began waving the pillow in front of the smoke detector, the skeletons watching in both amazement and entertainment.  
After the incessant beeping stopped, she heaved a sigh of relief.  
"WOWIE! GREAT JOB, HUMAN! YOU SAVED THE DAY, YET AGAIN!" Papyrus gave her a bony pat on her back. She smiled at the happy skeleton.  
"Papyrus, you got to be more careful with your cooking! This is the third time this week!" she warned, tossing the pillow back into the messy room it belonged to.  
"I'M SORRY, HUMAN, TRULY I AM! I WAS TRYING TO PERFECT MY PASTA RECIPE!" Papyrus stood in a valiant pose. She couldn't help but chuckle at him. She then noticed the blackened mess still sizzling in a skillet. She felt her stomach flip in disgust, hoping that Papyrus would find the decency to bury that thing.  
Sans, the shorter skeleton, finally piped in. "you know what they say, if you can't stand the heat, get out of the kitchen."  
Papyrus glared at his brother and proclaimed, "I CAN HANDLE THE HEAT! THE FOOD COULD NOT."  
Sans lifted the mug to his teeth, somehow drinking whatever liquid was in it. "no need to get so hot-headed, bro."  
She let out a stifled snort while Papyrus groaned, putting his hands on his head. "IT'S TOO EARLY FOR PUNS, BROTHER! GAH!" Papyrus grabbed the singed skillet and gave a sigh. "HUMAN, DO YOU THINK THIS IS STILL SALVAGABLE? I KNOW UNDYNE SAYS THAT CHARRING GIVES FOOD FLAVOR...BUT I CAN'T EVEN TELL WHAT'S PASTA ANYMORE!"  
The black chunk of "pasta" made a deep clinking noise as Papyrus leaned it towards her direction. She shoke her head, saying, "I don't think so." Papyrus let out a sad "nyoo hoo hoo" as he dumped the brick into the trash can. "It's okay, Pap. Just try again later. If you want, I can give you some pointers. I've heard that my spaghetti is decent."  
Papyrus had snuck into the pantry to wash the dish. He peeked his head out, letting the apron he dorned swing with him. It read "KISS THE COOK", but it was crossed out to say "THE NEW MEMBER OF THE ROYAL GUARD". That was also crossed out to say "COOK" again. She smiled at how silly it was. "I DON'T WANT TO OFFEND YOU, HUMAN, BUT I DON'T WANT TO MAKE DECENT SPAGHETTI, I WANT TO MAKE AMAZING SPAGHETTI! AND UNDYNE IS TEACHING ME!" He popped his head back into the pantry to scrub the pan.  
"Whatever you say, Pap. I'm just trying to help you."  
"bro, you gotta make some decent ones before you can make amazing ones. let the kid help ya. maybe you could teach her how to make it better when you finally catch a break," Sans said. His white pupils danced to the pantry, then to her, then back to his mystery cup.  
"SANS, THAT'S THE SMARTEST THING I'VE HEARD YOU SAY!" Papyrus dashed out of the pantry, somehow getting suds all over his apron already. "HUMAN, TONIGHT, YOU AND I WILL MAKE SPAGHETTI THAT IS JUST OKAY!" He pointed at her with the sponge in hand, causing water and suds to fly towards her. She gently wiped it off of her face, smiling at the easily excitable skeleton in his novelty apron. Sans was smiling too, but that grin was always on his face. Papyrus looked like he was going to pop from his bouncing. He rushed over and pulled the human into a tight hug, swinging her to and fro. Sans let out a laugh at the sight, while she gave him a glare. When Papyrus let go, she rubbed her arms. For being literally all bones, he was strong.  
"Alright you two, I gotta keep getting ready for work. I'll see you later, Pap." She waved to the two and began to walk to the front door.  
"i'll see you at work, kiddo," Sans said.  
"You planning on coming to visit me, Sans?" She turned to face the small skeleton and smirked. He gave one in return.  
"if you must know, i have a job interview there today."  
"THAT'S RIGHT! THE GREAT PAPYRUS TOLD SANS THAT HE SHOULD GET A JOB AND HE LISTENED! ...WHICH WAS REALLY WEIRD."  
"W-Wait, are we talking about the right store? Miller Pharmacy? On Main, next to the coffee shop?"  
"yup."  
"Oh...okay..." She didn't know how to feel. Sans was the laziest monster she knew. And working as a cashier, even though it sounds like a walk in the park, can be branched off into multiple things at that store. She didn't know if that would be a good suit for a guy whose room looks like a tornado goes through it every day. "Well, if I don't see you before then, good luck. I really gotta go though. I can't be late. See ya, guys!" She left the neighbor's and went back to her apartment, got dressed, haphazardly filled her cats' food dish, grabbed her pink headphones and walked out the door.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Flashback!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> To be honest, I had a bit of trouble with this chapter. I couldn't think of a good intro. I tried and if I don't think of anything better, I may change it.

It had been roughly a year since monsters were "accepted" into above ground society. The city she lived in was the first to see these creatures.

The day they arrived was an average day to say the least. She was at work when people on the street began to scream and run away. She and the rest of the employees ran outside to see what the commotion was about. She grabbed someone who was running her way and asked, "What the hell is going on?!" Breathless and scared, he was able to mutter out, "Monsters!" before running off again.

Now, she was taught early on in school about the human and monster wars. She had never doubted the existence of monsters because of that, so she didn't really understand all of this chaos.

She looked down the direction they were running away from. She genuinely didn't know what to expect. Were these monsters supposed to be giants, like Godzilla or King Kong? Or were they mutant humans, like X-Men?

Her manager grabbed her arm, ushering her back into the store. The bedlam outside seemed to calm down after a few hours. Her mind was dizzy from her imagination going rampant, thinking of the situation.

_If these things were here to harm us, wouldn't we have...I dunno, died already? Or at least been evacuated... As far we know, they're not here to commit genocide. So...they're friendly?_

The end of that day's shift was uneventful. The next day would start a new life for humans, but more importantly, monsters.

Waking up around noon, getting ready for work that day, she turned her television on to see if there was any news about the commotion yesterday. The local news station was abuzz with headlines such as, "CHILDHOOD NIGHTMARES ARE REAL?" and "Monsters Aren't Living Under Your Bed; They're Your Neighbors!". The female news anchor was bubbly and cheerful as she talked about this exciting topic.

"For years and years, we as the human race, have denied the existence of monsters, writing them off as fairy tales. But yesterday, when a small group of monsters arrived into our city from Mt. Ebott, we could no longer refuse. They were led by a small child, who later told reporters that they had fallen down into a cavern of Mt. Ebott. Earlier this morning, Mayor Nielsen held a press conference to inform everyone about the situation."

She watched with zeal, taking a sip of her sweet coffee. The television switched from the news station to a recording of the aforementioned conference. At first, the camera showed only the middle aged mayor, chattering away behind his podium. After a minute or so, the camera panned over to what she was hoping to see: an actual monster. He didn't look threatening...he looked the exact opposite. His appearance was incredibly similar to a goat; with white horns curved towards the sky, a small, protruding set of sharp teeth, and paws. He also had some human features; such as he was standing on two feet, a more "human" shaped head, and a blond beard to match the hair on his head. This monster had white fur covering the rest of his body. He had dressed rather regally, as if he were royalty. His shoulders were adorned with gold colored pauntlets and a violet shawl. His face was glowing, a smile spread across it. He looked authentically happy.

"Without further ado, let me introduce to you, former leader of the Underground and now citizen of our fine city... Mr. Asgore Dreemurr!" The audience in attendance had applauded, the sound resonating through the multiple microphones attached to the podium. Asgore approached the stand, bringing his hand to his mouth to clear his throat. His gaze met the camera straight ahead and gave a proud grin.

"Howdy!" he began, "as the mayor said, my name is Asgore Dreemurr. Back in the Underground, I was the king and leader of my people. As most of you may or may not know, many years ago, us monsters were at war with your kind. We were driven away, down to the underground and were stuck there by a barrier that your ancestors created." The audience was deathly silent. The only thing heard, other than Asgore's deep voice, was the sound of wind blowing gently. "The only way we could break it and escape our imprisonment, was with the soul of a human and the soul of a monster. There, uh..." Asgore fell silent as well, looking a tad guilty. His smile had faltered, but returned to its normal state. "When Frisk had fallen down, we had no idea that they would have changed our lives in such a positive manner."

The camera then panned over to a small child in the front row, whom was wearing a blue striped sweater. It took a few seconds to notice the camera pointed towards them, their cheeks flushed a shade of pink and waved slightly, before hiding their face in the monster next to them. She was a goat monster, same as Asgore. When Frisk nuzzled their face into her side, she lovingly wrapped her arm around Frisk's shoulders and gave a gentle squeeze. She smiled at the camera as well.

"What a cutie!" she giggled to herself, taking another sip of coffee. Her eyes had been glued to the screen for the past twenty minutes.

Asgore had continued his speech, telling the viewers about Frisk's adventures. While he hailed about the child, she was able to see the entire crowd. It was surprising how many humans were in attendance, but it was jaw dropping how many different creatures there were. From what she could pin point, she saw someone whose head was engulfed in flames, an eight armed spider girl, a hovering ghost who looked somber, and a short yellow scaled...lizard? Dinosaur? The human wasn't sure from first glance.

"I want to thank you, humans, for giving us a chance. We as a whole race are more than delighted to be given a chance to start anew. I'll let Mayor Nielsen regain control of the microphones before I ramble on any longer, heh." The audience let out a slight chuckle, which made Asgore's smile even brighter. He side stepped out of the way to let the mayor take over, but not without a firm handshake in clear view of the camera.

Her attention slowly faded. She heard some key notes, that monsters will be given places to live, help with financial stability... She had to start getting ready for work.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry if my chapters seem to end weird??? I've never really been one to separate my stories into chapters, so this is super new to me.

Back in the present day, her half an hour walk to work went by swift. The traffic wasn't too bad for being around seven in the morning. The parking was barren, except for one car. She recognized it as her manager's SUV.

  
She entered the store and was eagerly greeted by the manager.

"Good morning! Are you ready for an exciting day?"

  
"Morning, Mable...and so far, my day has been plenty exciting, what with my neighbors almost setting their apartment on fire." She walked behind the counter and clocked in. Mable's mouth was wide open.

  
"What the heck happened?! Are they okay?"

  
"Yeah... Papyrus is just a really bad cook. Nothing was destroyed other than the food and my appetite," she laughed. Mable did the same.

  
"Oh, it's your skeleton neighbor! Sounds like things aren't so boring over on your end, as long as they're around."

  
"Yeah, they're cool. Other than the smoke detector going off at the worst times, they're good neighbors. I like 'em."

  
Mable nodded and began to tell her the plan for work today, as she always does.  
"I have an interview with a potential employee at ten o'clock, so when Sarah comes in, she'll ring and you'll refill the end caps."

  
"Sounds like a plan." She didn't bother bringing up the fact that the "potential employee" was her neighbor. Even though she was still dicey on the thought of Sans working alongside her, she wanted to be certain that she didn't spoil anything for him. In reality, it would most likely not affect Sans, but she did not want to chance it.

\--------------------------------

She hadn't checked the time in who-knows how long. There was customer after customer who needed assistance, which made her focus on service instead of time.

  
The automatic doors pushed open, letting Papyrus and Sans walk in. Papyrus was dressed in, what Sans called, his "battle body". Sans was over dressed, compared to his bland sense of style. His usual outfit of a blue jacket with a furry fringed hood, black basketball short and pink slippers was replaced with a white dress shirt, buttoned up slightly askew, a freshly pressed pair of slacks and blue and black sneakers. Sans' grin seemed to be a tad nervous. She let out a snicker at the sight of the brothers, who looked of total opposites of each other. She put her elbows on the counter, head resting on her hands.

  
"Looking good there, Sans. You nervous?"

 

He laughed softly, shrugging his shoulders. "nah. i'm good."

  
"Let me get my manager down." She grabbed the intercom and asked for Mable to the front. Hastily, she heard footsteps towards the short skeleton.

  
"Hello!" she enthusiastically greeted. "I'm going to go out on a limb and say that you are Sans?"

  
"well, you have four of those, so i think you're good. yeah, i'm sans. it's nice to meet you." Sans extended his hand for a polite shake. Mable cordially grabbed it but was thrown off by the sound of farting. Mable looked absolutely bewildered, staying silent as the fart faded. Papyrus slowly stared down at his brother, whose face had stayed stagnant.

Behind the counter, she had to control herself from bursting out into laughter. She knew that Sans enjoyed pranks; mainly harmless ones, such as unscrewing the salt shaker, tapping their shoulder and mysteriously disappearing, etc... It was obvious, at least to her, that this was Sans' doing and not Mable.

  
After the fart ended, Papyrus shouted out, "BROTHER!" Sans' smile grew wider as a laugh escaped. He released his gripped from Mable's hand and showed the whoopee cushion.  
"heh, the old whoopee cushion in the hand trick..." Sans looked up at Mable, whose face had stayed alarmed. Papyrus grabbed his brother by his collarbone and placed him under his arms, holding him like a football.

  
"I'M SO SORRY ABOUT THIS. I TOLD SANS TO NOT BRING ANY SHENANIGANS TO HIS INTERVIEW TODAY. I THOUGHT I HAD EMPTIED HIS POCKETS BEFORE WE LEFT THIS MORNING." Papyrus looked down at his brother, asking, "SANS, WHERE DID YOU HIDE THAT?"

  
She could hear the proud smirk on Sans' face as he said, "inside my ribs."

  
"DANG IT S--"

  
Mable finally changed expression as laughter rushed out of her mouth, causing the skeletons and the cashier to gaze at the manager.

  
"Ha, that was a good one. Come with me, Sans. We'll go to my office."

  
Papyrus placed Sans feet down on the ground. The taller brother quickly fixed Sans' outfit, making him groan out.

  
"pap, stop. you're not my mom."

  
"NO, I'M YOUR BROTHER. BROM? NO, JUST YOUR BROTHER." Sans followed Mable to the office. "GOOD LUCK!" Papyrus waved eagerly. Once his brother was out of sight, he sighed and walked over to the register, where his neighbor was standing behind.

  
"I should say I can't believe Sans did the whoopee cushion thing, but to be honest, I expected him to do something dumb like that," she said.

  
"I HAD SEARCHED HIM SO THOROUGHLY. I REALLY HOPE THAT STUNT DIDN'T MESS UP HIS CHANCES!" Papyrus put his hands on his cheek bones in uncertainty.

  
"He should be fine, Pap. Mable has a good sense of humor. I doubt this will ruin anything for him." She gave Papyrus a reassuring pat on his shoulder. He smiled widely.

  
"I CERTAINLY HOPE SO! I'M LEAVING MY BROTHER IN YOUR CAPABLE HANDS!" _Capable is not the word I would use._  "I WILL SEE YOU SHORTLY, HUMAN!" With a wave, Papyrus triumphantly walked out of the store. Sarah, the employee who was ten minutes late, bumped into the lanky skeleton. She could hear the loud apology, followed with a his signature laugh. Sarah entered the store and walked behind the counter to clock in. She had a look on her face as if she wanted to be back in bed.

  
"Morning," she said to her co worker. Sarah glanced to her and returned the greeting. After ringing out a customer, Sarah was told about what today's plan was. She obstinately agreed.

  
"Page me if you need me," she spoke as she walked away.

\--------------

Sans hadn't exited the office for forty-five minutes. While she was filling the end caps with laundry detergent and boxes of tissues and other sale items, she would occasionally glance at the door that led to the office.

  
_I hope things are going alright,_  she thought, hoisting a tote filled with store brand soap. She didn't know if Sans was good with this sort of thing. She never really pried into his life before the monsters resurfaced. Sans was never one to share willingly. Did Sans have a job before this? She knew about Papyrus' career options since he harps about not getting into the Royal Guard while he had the opportunity.

  
Sarah called her to the front to help with the long line of impatient customers. Quickly, she hopped onto the next register to aid her co worker.

  
With the last two customers being helped, she heard the office door swing open. Her eyes switched from the item she was scanning to the both her manager and Sans exiting.

  
"...pleasure to meet you, Sans. We'll give you a call when we figure out everyting," Mable uttered. Sans was hard to see due to his height, but his voice was easily heard.

  
"thank you for taking the time to interview me. and uh, sorry about earlier." Sans sounded like he was reading a line from his palm. Maybe Papyrus had given him a list of "professional" phrases to say. She hid her stifled laugh with a cough.

  
"Thank you and have a good day," she said to her customer. He waved good bye, but stayed silent. Sans walked by her register, his grin looked wider than normal.

  
"i'll see you after pap's cooking lesson. i'm going home to take a nap. see ya," Sans bid farewell and walked out of the store. She stepped out from behind the counter, leaving Sarah to her lonesome.


End file.
